Latest news with #HigherGround
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Barack Obama jokes about divorce rumours: ‘She took me back!'
Barack and Michelle Obama have addressed ongoing divorce rumours. Appearing together on Michelle's podcast Higher Ground on Wednesday, they admitted to having experienced "some really hard times" in their relationship. Barack joked that his wife 'took me back' amidst the speculation about their marital status. Michelle said that despite the difficulties, she has never considered "quitting" her husband. Watch the video in full above.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Barack and Michelle Obama address divorce rumours amid ‘really hard times'
Barack and Michelle Obama have addressed divorce rumours, admitting that they've 'had some really hard times'. The former presenter joined his wife on her podcast Higher Ground on Wednesday (16 July), where he joked that she had 'taken him back' amid speculation that the couple were having relationship problems. Co-host Craig Robinson said it was lovely to have them in the same room, with Michelle quipping: 'I know, because when we aren't, folks think we're divorced.' She later opened up that despite 'some really hard times', she has never thought about 'quitting my man'.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Barack Obama could win his fifth Emmy — but would that make him the most-awarded ex-president?
Former President Barack Obama won the presidency twice, but the 22nd Amendment prevented him from going for the hat trick. The same rules don't apply to the Emmy race, where the 42nd commander in chief is closing in on his third individual Primetime Emmy. Obama's name was included among the Best Narrator nominees when nominations were announced on Tuesday for lending his voice to the Netflix docuseries Our Oceans, made in collaboration with Higher Ground, the production company run by the former POTUS and his FLOTUS, Michelle Obama. Obama is no stranger to this particular category having been nominated — and won — twice before. He received his first Best Narrator statuette in 2022 for narrating the Netflix-Higher Ground collab Our Great National Parks, and repeated the following year for another joint effort, Working: What We Do All Day. He and Michelle also won two Daytime Emmys in 2022 for producing animated children's shows. The president-turned-producer notably hasn't accepted these awards in-person, though: he's remained a no-show at both the Primetime Emmys and the Creative Arts Emmys. More from Gold Derby 'Squid Game' and Diego Luna are the year's biggest Emmy snubs: Poll Snubbed by Oscars, redeemed by Emmys: How eligibility rules revived 'Super/Man,' 'I Am: Celine Dion,' and 'Will & Harper' This year, one of America's most popular former presidents is going toe-to-toe with America's Dad. Tom Hanks looks to be Obama's primary competition as the narrator of NBC's wildlife docuseries The Americas. Other names in the mix include nature doc icon David Attenborough for BBC America's Planet Earth: Asia), Idris Elba for National Geographic's Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Prime Video's Octopus! While Obama can boast to having the most Emmys of any ex-president, he's not the only former Oval Office occupant to have received major entertainment industry awards. Here's a rundown on all the presidents who have received Hollywood recognition. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) The Emmys liked Ike. Eisenhower received the ceremony's first-ever Governors Award in 1956 as a tribute to the 34th president's embrace of television as a communication medium. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) Obama is the president to beat the Emmys, but Carter has the Grammys on lock. The 39th president — who died in December 2024 at age 100 — scored 10 nominations over the course of his post-Oval Office life and notched four wins, most recently receiving a posthumous Grammy in February. All of Carter's statuettes were for Best Spoken Word Album — now called Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording — for the audio versions of his many books. He received his first Grammy in 2007 for Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis (he tied with the memoir Ossie and Ruby by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee), followed by 2016's A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, 2019's Faith: A Journey for All and 2025's Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) Years before he left Hollywood for politics, the 40th president was honored by the still-young Golden Globes with the 1957 Hollywood Citizenship Award. It was the second and final year that the organization handed out that particular prize, which recognized recipients' achievements in citizenship. Reagan is also one of two presidents with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bill Clinton (1993-2001) The 42nd president joins Carter as a Grammy winner with four nominations and two victories. Clinton received his first statuette in 2004 for Best Spoken Word Album For Children as part of the ensemble featured on the album Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks. One year later, he scored a solo Grammy in the Best Spoken Word Album category for narrating his autobiography, My Life. Meanwhile, his wife and former presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, won her own spoken word Grammy in 1997 for the audiobook version of It Takes a Village. Barack Obama (2009-2017) Besides his aforementioned Emmy run for Best Narrator, Obama has been featured in three Emmy-winning productions, including a 2014 episode of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, but wasn't personally in contention in those cases. The Higher Ground-backed documentary American Factory also received a directing Emmy in 2020. The Obamas' production company also has several Daytime Emmys to its name courtesy of its animated children's fare: in 2022, We the People and Ada Twist, Scientist won Outstanding Short Form Program and Outstanding Preschool Animated Series, respectively. Beyond the Emmys, Obama is also a Grammy recipient. He's received three Best Spoken Word Album nominations to date and has two wins: one in 2006 for his acclaimed memoir Dreams of My Father and the other in 2008 for The Audacity of Hope, which he received in the middle of his historic campaign for the presidency. For the record, Michelle Obama is also a two-time winner: she won the spoken word category in 2020 for her memoir, Becoming, and again in 2024 for The Light We Carry. Donald Trump (2017-2021; 2025-present) The 45th and 47th president received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 when he was still hosting NBC's hit reality series The Apprentice. That show also received two Emmy nominations for Best Reality Competition Program in 2004 and 2005, but lost to The Amazing Race both years. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2, including the departure of Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins Everything to know about 'Too Much,' Lena Dunham's Netflix TV show starring Megan Stalter that's kinda, sorta 'based on a true story' Cristin Milioti, Amanda Seyfried, Michelle Williams, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actress interviews Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Black America Web
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Larry David And The Obamas Team Up For An HBO Sketch Comedy
Sometimes comedy makes strange bedfellows. The co-creator of Seinfeld and the star and creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm is teaming up with the most elegant first family to ever grace the White House for an HBO sketch show about the history of America. 'David will act as co-creator will act as executive producer, writer and star of the limited series consisting of six half-hour episodes, produced by the Obamas' company, Higher Ground,' HuffPost reports. This will be David's first return to HBO since ending Curb Your Enthusiasm a year ago, and the jokes are already coming. 'Once 'Curb' ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party. After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow,' David said. 'Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I return to television, hoping to ease the loss of my beloved hive.' HuffPost notes that 'Curb' showrunner Jeff Schaffer will be back with David to co-write and direct episodes. 'President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. …But then Larry David called,' the logline of the yet-to-be-named project noted. Barack Obama's statement added: 'I've sat across the table from some of the world's most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David.' Jokes aside, shortly after leaving the White House, the Obamas launched 'Higher Ground' production company that has already produced the 'Oscar-winning documentary American Factory , the kids series Waffles + Mochi , and the movies Rustin and Leave the World Behind . There is no set date for when the HBO series is set to premiere, but see how social media is reacting to the news below. Larry David And The Obamas Team Up For An HBO Sketch Comedy was originally published on
Irish Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Barack and Michelle Obama team up with Seinfeld creator for new comedy show
Barack and Michelle Obama are set to front a sketch comedy. The former First Couple is teaming up with Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David for a new HBO series. The yet-to-be-titled project is a six-episode, half-hour sketch comedy series set to air on HBO, with the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, executive producing alongside Larry David and longtime collaborator Jeff Schaffer. According to HBO, the show was originally envisioned as a tribute to America's 250th anniversary - until Larry David got involved. The official logline reads, "President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. ...But then Larry David called." The show will feature a mix of Curb Your Enthusiasm alumni and high-profile guest stars, with Schaffer also serving as director. The concept is expected to explore overlooked (and likely hilariously fictionalized) historical moments through the distinctively absurd lens of Larry David. Obama couldn't resist cracking a joke about teaming up with the 78-year-old comedian. He said, "I've sat across the table from some of the world's most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems," said the former president. "Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David." For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here. Meanwhile, David issued a statement, joking, "Once Curb ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party. After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow. "Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I return to television, hoping to ease the loss of my beloved hive." About the project, Amy Gravitt, EVP of HBO and Max Comedy, said, "It's hard to remember a time before Curb, or without Larry David's perspective on modern life." She added, "We're thrilled that Larry is coming back to HBO, this time with Higher Ground, to give us a glimpse at our shared history as we celebrate our Semiquincentennial." Jeff Schaffer added, "The characters Larry is playing didn't change history. In fact, they were largely ignored by history. And that's a good thing."
